1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data-processing device that processes data in accordance with a request for the processing of the data, a system for processing data, a method of processing data, a program for processing data, and a recording medium storing the program.
2. Description of Related Art
Hitherto, data-recording devices such as video recorders and hard-disk recorders are known, which are so configured to record images transmitted on, for example, broadcast waves, and to be connected to networks. There are known systems that enable the user to automatically reserve recording in such a data-recording device set at home, at any place outside home by sending an E-mail or using a WEB site (see, for example, Jpn. Pat. Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-67488, page 3, left column to page 7, left column).
The recording reservation system disclosed in this publication includes a network, a terminal device, a data-recording device, and a server device. The terminal device, data-recording device and server device are connected to the network. The terminal device acquires program data from the server device via the network. The program data is indispensable to the reservation of recording. The terminal device transmits the TV-program data representing the TV program the user has selected, to the server device through the network. The server device transmits the TV-program data to the terminal device via the network. From the TV-program data, the server device generates a recording reservation instruction that causes the data-recording device to perform a recording reservation. The recording reservation instruction, thus generated, is transmitted via the network to the data-recording device. Upon receiving the recording reservation instruction, the data-recording device performs a recording reservation in accordance with the recording reservation instruction.
In the recording reservation system, the user makes a recording reservation for the data-recording device, by using the terminal device, as will be described below. First, the user operates the terminal device, thus acquiring the program data from the server device. Then, the user selects a TV program of which he or she wants to make a recording reservation. The TV-program data representing the TV program the user has selected is transmitted to the server device. The server device generates a recording reservation instruction from the TV-program data that it has received. The server device transmits the recording reservation instruction to the data-recording device. The data-recording device, which has received the recording reservation instruction, performs a process of setting the recording reservation.
Assume that a user has found a TV program that he or she wishes that his or her friend should enjoy by all unit, and that the friend has not reserved the recording of the TV program. In this case, the data-recording device in the friend's home cannot record this TV program in the system disclosed in the publication, unless the user can tell the friend to make the recording reservation. As a consequence, there arises a problem that the user's friend cannot enjoy seeing the TV program.